FIRE!

Ok,

Week two is now over and I have hardly done anything this week. Yes this is disappointing and no this is not discouraging me at all. Life has been hectic and I know that in order to properly train for an Ironman you need to be able to commit the time energy and have the drive to do it. I am getting there.

I have stopped listening to the 4 podcasts about triathlons. It was too much, for a while it was psyching me up and getting me all ready for training and racing. Two of those podcasts deal with Ironman specifically. I sat and listening and tried to soak in as much advice as I possibly could and learn from them. But it was not working, now mind you these area great people and have great shows but it was not doing it for me anymore and I know why.

When it comes to triathletes you will not meet anyone nicer. By far we are the friendliest most understanding and motivated people around. WE TRY TO PERFECT 3 SPORTS FOR CHRIMINY SAKES! But! In this massive humble nature there is a cockiness, there is a feeling of, “I do three sports and I do them well”. There is a side of a triathlete that does look at everyone and says “you are lazy, I am better then you”. Now this is just pure ego and is a very small percentage of that person, but it is there and if it is not there then that triathlete is not a competing triathlete they are just there to stay healthy and have fun. I want to be a competing triathlete!

Anyone who knows me knows I want everyone to do a triathlon and that I will help anyone and everyone I can to start running, biking or swimming. So much so that as of late I have killed my cockiness. I have killed that part of me that strives and takes pride in my abilities as a triathlete. I have over humbled myself. I realized I brainwashed myself through the podcasts I was listening too. It was not their fault but I was getting bombarded by nothing but humbleness from these triathletes on their podcasts and this is to be expected, the cockiness only comes out and is spoken when its race day the rest of the time it is a small fire that motivates.

When listening to these podcasts and several other people talk about how hard Ironman races are and how humbling they are, that you don’t race an Ironman you survive it. I started to give in. My fire started to die, I started to beleave that I would not make my time goals.

I call BULLSHIT!

I did not sign up to just survive doing something, to just make it though and be happy with that accomplishment. Its like saying its an honor just to be nominated! I HATE THOSE PEOPLE, yeah its great to get to the top but YOU KNOW YOU WANTED THE WIN. That’s like playing not to lose, GUESS WHAT YOU USUALLY LOSE WHEN YOU DO THAT!

I have time goals; I expect that when I step into that water on September 30^th that I will be done with the race within the next 12 hours. To some of you this means nothing to others this seems insane, ill add to it. I actually expect to finish before 11 hours, 12 hours is my ill try this again time. If I do not finish under 12 hours I am going back to Olympic distances.

This is what motivates me, not I want to survive, no, I WANT TO GO TO KONA! If after this race I finish under 12 hours my next goal will be to qualify for KONA which is the world championship for Ironman, this is the race many of you know this is the race in Hawaii. To get there I have to finish in the top of my age group at another Ironman, and that Ironman will be Ironman New Zealand or Ironman Australia! This is the rekindling of my cockiness, my motivation, my fire! Let’s see how hot this burns!

Bob

TRIATHLETE